Orderlies
Healthcare Support
The job is mostly moving people and gear through a hospital: patients get lifted onto beds, exam tables, or stretchers and taken to surgery, x-ray, or other units. Between trips, wheelchairs, beds, and portable equipment get cleaned and disinfected, needed repairs get noted, and soiled linens, drapes, and cubicle curtains are changed. Supplies and messages also move between departments, and the same person may respond when medical, security, or fire alarms go off. The work involves frequent lifting of patients and equipment. A match for those who prefer physical, time-sensitive transport work and keeping equipment ready, not bedside nursing.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$38'290
Median Wage Market Position
$38'290
What you might do
- Take patients to surgery, x-ray, or treatment
- Lift patients onto beds, tables, or stretchers
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment and supplies
- Change soiled bed linens and cubicle curtains
- Wheel portable medical equipment between departments
- Respond to medical, security, or fire alarms
Skills that matter
- Moving patients by wheelchair or stretcher
- Lifting patients with other staff
- Noticing discomfort during transfers
- Sterilizing equipment and hospital supplies
- Logging equipment that needs repair
- Responding to medical calls and alarms
AI & the future of this role
Moving patients, hauling equipment, and keeping clinical areas clean are hands-on tasks robots and software are unlikely to take over soon. Scheduling or supply tools may streamline logistics, but in-person care support and hospital demand still look relatively secure.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details